This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the presently described embodiments. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present embodiments. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
To meet consumer and industrial demand for natural resources, exploration and production (E&P) companies often expend significant amounts of time and money finding and extracting oil, natural gas, and other subterranean resources from the earth. Particularly, E&P companies, once the resource is located, often employ drilling and production systems to access and extract the resource. These systems may be located onshore or offshore depending on the location of a desired resource.
E&P companies place a high priority on the operation and reliability of these systems, as do the supporting service providers and equipment manufacturers. Downtime due to system malfunction and maintenance can be quite costly, both in terms of actual costs and opportunity costs.